Paul McCartney has shared a statement praising Beyoncé’s cover of the Beatles’ 1968 ballad “Blackbird.” Bey put her own spin on the classic for her new album Cowboy Carter, which came out last week. “I am so happy with Beyoncé’s version of my song ‘Blackbird,’” McCartney wrote on Instagram. “I think she does a magnificent version of it and it reinforces the civil rights message that inspired me to write the song in the first place.” Find McCartney’s full remarks below.

McCartney added that during a FaceTime call, Beyoncé thanked him for writing “Blackbird” and for allowing her to cover it. “When I saw the footage on the television in the early ’60s of the black girls being turned away from school, I found it shocking and I can’t believe that still in these days there are places where this kind of thing is happening right now,” he added. “Anything my song and Beyoncé’s fabulous version can do to ease racial tension would be a great thing and makes me very proud.”

Earlier today, Beyoncé shared a remix of her Cowboy Carter single “Texas Hold ’Em,” aptly titled the “Pony Up Remix.” Following the album’s release, Beyoncé accepted the Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. She received the trophy from Stevie Wonder.

Read “7 Takeaways From Beyoncé’s New Album Cowboy Carter” on the Pitch.

Paul McCartney:

I am so happy with Beyoncé’s version of my song “Blackbird.” I think she does a magnificent version of it and it reinforces the civil rights message that inspired me to write the song in the first place. I think Beyoncé has done a fab version and would urge anyone who has not heard it yet to check it out. You are going to love it!

I spoke to her on FaceTime and she thanked me for writing it and letting her do it. I told her the pleasure was all mine and I thought she had done a killer version of the song. When I saw the footage on the television in the early ’60s of the black girls being turned away from school, I found it shocking and I can’t believe that still in these days there are places where this kind of thing is happening right now. Anything my song and Beyoncé’s fabulous version can do to ease racial tension would be a great thing and makes me very proud.